Apparatus for testing pressure gauges



Jan. 18,- 1949. w. ECK

APPARATUS FOR TESTING PRESSURE GAUGES Filed April' 21, 1945 v 49 0 A d vwm WiHfam Eek- 5 Mow? Patented Jan. 18, 1949 1::

UNITED APPARATUS S l G iRESSpRE I GAUGES William Eek, Manitowoc, -Wis.,' a'ssignor to -Wis- Y consin Aluminum Foundry Company, .Mani-z' towoc, Wis., a corporation ,of wisconsin 1 I Application April' 21, 1945, Serial nette?) 1 Claim. (cine-4) This invention pertains to an apparatus for r." nectorffittingofthepresentconventional prestesting the accuracy of pressure indicating gauges, and more particularlytho'se used on'conventional domestic pressure cookers. 7

At the presenttime the covers of most convensure indicating gauge, and a pressure control valve that is set to release pressure generated within the cooker at a. predetermined amount.

Because the temperature developed within a pressure cooker is dependent upon the amount of steam pressure generated, it is essential that the pressure gauge be extremely accurate, inasmuch as a slight variation in the pressure'results in a proportionately greater variation in temperature.

'tional pressure cookers are equipped with a pres-1 For example, in a variation of pressure from zero to twenty pounds the temperature varies from atmosphere to approximately 260 Fahrenheit.

It Will, therefore, be readily seen that any inaccuracy in the pressure gauge will be reflected in properly timing the cooking period for a desired. temperature. This is important when it is realized that the cooking period for differentfoods must vary within an exceedingly limited range, and therefore, even a slight inaccuracy in the pressure gauge results in improper calculation of the cooking period.

Usually conventional pressure indicating gauges are threaded into the covers in domestic cookers, and while they are accurately set before leaving the factory, aftera certain period of use the intricate parts are aiTected to the extent that the pressure reading becomes inaccurate.

Heretofore, in order to determine such inaccuracy in gauges from time to time, it'ha's been necessary to remove the gauge and either return it to the factory, or connect the gauge to a testing apparatus attached to the opening in the cover from which the gauge'is removed. w

, Theabove methods are objectionable for" the reason that, in removing and replacing the gauge,

tested without removal or disturbance of any of the conventional equipment connections.

Incidental to the foregoing, a more specificob ject of the invention resides in the provision of atestin'g apparatus for attachment to the con- Naturally, return of the gauge to 'plic'ationof theprinciples thereof H sureregulating valve. I y

= A further object is to provide'the foregoing test- "in'g appa'ratuswith madame-fitt ng for 'rece'iving the conventional-pressureregulating valve removed from the "connector fitting in order to permit attachment of'the testing apparatus, thus allowing testing under actual cooking conditions, including the safety factor afforded bythe regulatin'g valve th'atrelieves excessive pressure.

"With the ab'oveand other objects in view, which will apear' as the 'descriptionmroceeds, the'in- 'ven'tion-reside s= in the novel construction, combination, and farrang'ement of parts; substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, -'it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment'of the herein-disclosed inventionmay be madeas come within-the scope of the claim.

-- In the accompanying drawingis illustrated-one complete example of the-"physical embodiment-of the present invention constructedaccording to the best mode so far devised for the practical ap- -Inthe drawingz Fig. lis' a perspective view of conventional domestic pressure cooker equipped with the usual pressure gaug'e and regulating valve; and I =Fig.2 is a view,partial1y in elevation and partially in section, illustrating the testing apparatus in operative position :onthe cover 'of the cooker.-

Referring now more particularly to'the'accom panying drawing the cooker illustrated in Fi 1 consistsof'a receptacle 3,'provided with a.:cover 4 which is sealed onthe top ofthereceptacle during operation of the cooker by peripherally spaced clampsiofany conventional type.- The cover 4 is-provided -with the usual pressure indicating gauge-l6, the shank-J of-whichis threaded intoran opening. provided in the cover forl communication with theainterior of the cooker. ,v Thecover "4- is also provided: with a conventionalwpressure regulatingrivalve 8, detachably mounted on; a connector fitting 9 threaded'into an opening I provided in the cover 4. The structure of the regulating valve 8 and the connector fitting9 are-illustrated in detail inFig. 2. .The'fitting 9 comprises a stem H threaded at its upper and lower ends, and'prov'ided' withan' intermediate tool receiving flange I2. The lower end of the stem is provided with-"a restricted open; ing l3 which forms a seat M'for reception of a ball valve l5, loosely mounted within a head It carriedbyavalve stem |'l.-

toward its seat. When it is desired tpqonentthe valve the lever I9 is swung tolongitudinal'alinee ment with the stem, which shifts the head l6 and ball valve l away from its;;seat;a ainst=zthej-tension of the spring 20. Openih'gsrislaproyideddn the thimble I8 then allows free escape :-o'f pres-= sure fluid through the fittingtg. r a

The testing apparatus per se consists of a supplied to the cooker, the cover is clamped down and heat is applied to the receptacle to create steam pressure within the cooker. Such pressure is then checked on both the gauge 6 and the master gauge 25 and compared to determine the accuracywi izhe gaugej. f llnqbhe event: that the nlaitt'er listiound to berinaccurate, the: operator then can note the extent of the inaccuracy and min future operation of the cooker make allowance vi o r. the same in determining the proper pressure riortiming'the' cooking operation.

coupling designated generally as C, and domprisiing a body 22 provided; with a longitudinal pasa e 1'3 th pnms teee d irw ic 'are an emall threaded. Mounted on a sgem-g d threadedginto th @91 M the qdy fl: smaetenin ieaterigauge .3 o py o nv ntiqnal t ne, iaaeto vwhieh i tp id itit w ui able es edu ti ns a n atving aressure,aapldfif .desired.. corgirespondin gv teln- -meratmxes. {Ifo einsmieiaccuracy of the -;master au e. e p int 2 ma rm n elly wha -atmospheric pressure .by ra lllatingescr'ew. 2].

Th ade mt -t e -l mer ed M th od 2 is'a-nippleiza havingta-spudia iormed onits lower end vfor seating. into: theluppen end ofsthe stern ,s I I swiveltnut ,gu mountedeon thefnipple-z 2,8 en agesesip in e a .ei aase 1.3 stormed anhe glowerend .of. the, Iiipple:-to secl1r e1y lockdt on the stem ,by turning .the: rundown on: ithei-l'threadjed end. i t

Theeswivel nut: 30 is providedlwitmone-prmore rad alron n s .3 lf.-t ermit the gradual escape o sn ss e:wi h nthe: ceptanleshenld h en ator; inadvertently attempt to: remorethe =testing appa atus =withoutwfirste e ea ine:the mesul t ne wa vefl.orth povem- 1 Also, edstotherhody lz {153' anlzedanter fitting 32, which is identical in stnupture and di- :mensionstoithe:connectonfittinzss. iconsequentsire: during ithe' resting operations-the: re ula in valve&:8. aftertremoual :from the; fitting; 9 :LSjRQSjitionedpn the adapter 'iiato function iinrthe same vmanner aswhen ;appliedetoilthehittingv lidumng snormal cookingJ-pperation. n From the foregoing, considered in connection I -withatheiaccompanyingidrawingsoperationlofithe ,coekerrrand-ztesting apparatus will-zebesapparent.

-Normallyz the pressure; regulating valve =is aad- It will be obvious from the foregoing that an wemeedingrlysimplezmethod and economical and ifonl-eproofixtesting z-apparatus has been provided mh ichtwillenable an unskilled operator to quickly .tcheck and determine any inaccuracies in the conventional 'cooker gauge, thus saving the-ex- ..ipenseiand time of returning the gauge to the factory, and avoiding 'ithe possibility of leakage tli eu iudiei baa e o theactqrywomest sbetwee the gauge and cooke wwh ah' insu ts 1n --leaka In a few s an e it ha heennptedthamsome domest c :lqqo iers rare-e ui ped i.th. '.p s nren m t ng v ves whiqh e not separat sm a? th waive a8 aillnst atedr and c nsequ ntly-tithe @ntit va ve must h vre oyed r m izhe ooken o e a l allow chmentof the. pre ent. te t n -.-anna za- ..-tus. :To meetsu oudit pns -;as enar teadap an ins co res ondin mo nse onnaetor s unner? $J QYi QQP en he te in annaratusds equip ed with any m pf. pressure result .vseryez-thenpur;pose of-th v lve-l ma ng itrunnep essary .--.to i five the valve remo ed from i l-1e cooker. 7 v

v"It isz't u that th iorss ine .nqndit on -will r quire distur n th nneci ion-ih wieenlithe e u t pervalve ra d-"woken :bu that .iscmt as 5? ius-lastdism b nstheconnection bet-wannabe p ess re au e and =.Qok Whi lnis stilhavnidad :by: ther::pre s,ent= m t md and pparatus lllherei re h invent n snntemplates mm ea lier: ton @zrp zessure sn oker mi houtzsmnovios the same item the cooker scornprisi-neea 2 91111 1118 .0. zattaehmrnteto -valve iponnector mtti-ngmmivided msaid :QIQ e5QEQ1 QQKBI :indenendentni the 29. 2 z anee, a zma t nz ressure. :indicatnrr auge part ed byzsaldqcou lins. andianiada ter iii-tilin surexauge, whichrthenz'makesait easysiorithemperator topmperlytimeithecookingtoperation.

-When it is .idesiredlto "check tor- ;,test;;th.e :gauge 5- ,it, islamerely snecessary gtO :remove ;;the 1 valve 38 from thergfittin A! land; attach1the: coupling-1C rby meansrof .the swivel nut=38. rmheza'emoved-s alve 8. is v.thenvthreadedion thee-adapter tflttinga32, :in which :position it -servesasolely ias la: safety- :device to prevent the i development: of excessive ipressure during-testing,- either rromcarelessnessmr ignore canoe '.O,f{ the'operator.

Assuming that moistureg:'or':.'.liquidihas Ebeem a Number attached to ---said =cop 1ing :fpr. receiv ng rtheazalre .rempvedl Hem said teqnnecto fittin x w h said:v Qoupling-.:i s :to he .tattached, said a coupling being vi d with-an eorifice it9 lB SBlp3S5uF within, the: cgoker rzlmon,initial-gloosenings ofgsaid c ling.

' IrBEEEBzENGESaZCL'DED s Num r p "Qou try Dat 2 "fi ea ifi iiiain 

